


Mayura Mayhem

by RockSunner



Series: Smart Adversaries AU [33]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adventure, Akumatized Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Akumatized Marinette (faked), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s02 Mayura (Heroes' Day Part 2), Episode: s03 Caméléon | Chameleon, F/M, Framed, Identity Reveal, Jealousy, Karma - Freeform, Lila Rossi gets consequences, Mayura Reveal, Peacock!Lila, Romance, Secret Identity, Unrequited Crush, Villain Protagonist, trust and betrayal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-02-05
Packaged: 2019-10-16 21:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17553413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockSunner/pseuds/RockSunner
Summary: What if Volpina did a better job of concealing Scarlet Moth during the confrontation at the Eiffel Tower? Spoilers for the last two episodes of S2 and the first episode of S3.





	1. Chapter 1

Scarlet Moth sent by his telepathic link: "Volpina, you have a critical role in the next part of my plan. Ladybug and Chat Noir are coming. I'm counting on your illusions to give me a surprise attack. Make a fake Scarlet Moth for them to confront, and I'll sneak up on them from behind."

"No problem, Scarlet Moth," Volpina whispered back from her concealed vantage point on a high beam of the Eiffel Tower.

Volpina was confident that she could make a moving, speaking illusion that would fool the heroes. Thanks to Hawk Moth pulling her akuma earlier today, she remembered every glorious detail of the illusionary battle between Ladybug and Chat Noir. She made it look like Ladybug had killed Chat, to plunge Paris into despair and make them ready to be mass-akumatized. Unfortunately, that idiotic Prime Queen had just spoiled things by showing everyone that Chat Noir was still alive. But this time things were certain to work out better.

Volpina looked down with pride at her orange and white costume. Unlike the other villains, she wasn't red. That was because Scarlet Moth had created one purple akuma that was specially targeted to her, in addition to the hoards of red ones that spread out to find random victims. The others had less of a mind of their own – more of a lockstep loyalty to Scarlet Moth.

Volpina knew she had his special trust. She had started to develop a crush on the older man. She fantasized ruling the world by his side after his victory.

* * *

Ladybug and Chat Noir stood side by side on a platform of the Eiffel Tower, facing the illusion of Scarlet Moth.

"It's down to the three of us, Hawk Moth!" said Ladybug.

"Cataclysm!" said Chat Noir.

"Lucky Charm!" called Ladybug. She received a small spotted Miraculous box with a glossy finish. "It's a sign, Hawk Moth. A sign that your Miraculous will wind up inside this box."

The illusion said, "Are you sure you're not making a serious mistake? How would you know if the wish I was planning to make with your Miraculous wouldn't have been beneficial to everyone?"

"If you were to make a wish, there'd be a price to pay," said Ladybug. "Why don't you tell us your wish, Hawk Moth?"

"Give me your Miraculous and you'll find out," said the illusion. "Unlike you, I'm not afraid to use these powers."

From her higher vantage point, Volpina spoke the words she was putting into the illusion's mouth. It was working well, but she decided to be sure. She created an illusionary projection screen behind Ladybug and Chat Noir that would show only what they expected to see if they happened to glance back – an empty platform behind them. From the other side, the real Scarlet Moth could see what was really going on in front of him.

"Since you are so good, why did you never bother to change the world for the better?" the illusion asked.

"We _are_ changing the world every day – by our actions," said Ladybug. "Not just by wishing it at the expense of innocent citizens!"

Chat Noir said, "Whatever your wish it can only be evil judging the by all the havoc you wreak."

The two heroes advanced on the illusion. Chat Noir's right hand was glowing darkly with destructive magic.

Ladybug offered, "It's not too late. You can fight for good, with us."

Ladybug held up the Miraculous box. Thanks to the illusion screen behind her, she saw nothing in the reflection to alarm her. She also failed to notice Dark Cupid getting ready to shoot them, aiming through the illusion of Scarlet Moth.

Chat Noir charged the illusion. He went right through it and dissolved it. Off-balance, he fell off the side of the tower.

Dark Cupid shot Chat Noir with an arrow. One of the red butterflies swooped down after Chat and akumatized him.

Dark Cupid shot at Ladybug, but she dodged. The other red akuma went after her anyway.

"Give in, Ladybug," said Scarlet Moth. "You're all alone now."

"Never!" said Ladybug. "The people of Paris are fighting your villains. I won't let them down."

Finding her fighting spirit too strong, the akuma fluttered away.

A red version of Chat Noir swung up to the platform. His right hand still held Cataclysm power.

"Chat Noir!" called Ladybug. "Resist his control!"

The villain snarled, "There is no Chat Noir now. There is only Chat Sauvage."

Chat Sauvage attacked. Ladybug was on the defensive, dodging and fending off arrows with her yo-yo.

"Give up or die, Ladybug," said Scarlet Moth. "Don't worry about my wish. I'll even tell you what it is, since there is nobody around who will remember. I want to restore my wife to life. Once I have that, I'll be happy. There will be no more akumas, no more need for you in this city."

From her hiding place, Volpina gasped in shock.

"Restore his _wife_? No more akumas?" Volpina thought. "Is that what I want?"


	2. Chapter 2

After Volpina's role in the fight illusion in the morning, Hawk Moth had taken back her power, but he had promised he would meet her very soon. She told him she would be waiting for him, with a seductive purr in her voice. And so she had remained on a high building overlooking the parade route, waiting for her next role in the master plan.

The memory was made bitter now by her disappointed hopes. But there was one detail that could be useful. One purple butterfly flying off could easily be overlooked, but a cloud of red butterflies was much more obvious. Lila had seen them and recognized the building where they came from – the home of Gabriel Agreste. (She learned about the house when she was stalking Adrien.)

There would be evidence there, secrets Volpina could gather to blackmail Hawk Moth and force him to keep her in his life.

Volpina leaped away from the tower, using screening illusions to conceal herself from Scarlet Moth. He seemed to be absorbed in the battle with Ladybug, but just in case...

* * *

Volpina found the attic window with a pane missing, on the south side of the Agreste Mansion. Screened by an illusion, she peeked inside. There was a blue-skinned woman standing in the middle of the room, wearing black clothes with red highlights, and a helmet with a glowing red line over her eyes. She held a black computer tablet under her left arm.

"Soon you will have what you wish, my beloved," said the woman to herself. "It will make you happy, though it breaks my heart."

Volpina was filled with a jealous rage at the words of this new rival. She placed a screening illusion of the empty window halfway between them, and launched herself down at her enemy.

The surprise attack knocked the woman down. The tablet fell and cracked, releasing a purple butterfly. Black and purple magic bubbled away, revealing a woman with dark hair and glasses that Volpina recognized as Nathalie Sancouer, the personal assistant of Gabriel Agreste. Nathalie appeared to be stunned, the usual reaction of an akuma victim who has lost power.

Volpina was a little shocked at what she had done. She looked down at herself, expecting to lose her akuma power as well. It didn't happen.

"I see... the extra villains are part of her akuma damage," Volpina thought. "They won't go away until Ladybug casts a cure... if she ever gets to do that."

As Volpina hesitated, Nathalie stirred and woke up. Volpina instantly went up against the wall and covered her presence with an illusion.

"What happened?" said Nathalie to herself. "Something has gone wrong! I've lost my power and my link... now only Mayura can help him."

Nathalie went to a certain place on the floor and a down elevator triggered. She was gone.

Volpina went to the same place a moment later and followed.

* * *

Ladybug fought desperately. The odds were against her and she was running out of time since she had used her Lucky Charm. There were only two dots left.

"This is the end, Ladybug!" said Hawk Moth gloatingly. "Soon I'll..."

Hawk Moth's face suddenly had an expression of shock. "What? What just happened? Catalyst, our link is gone!"

Ladybug thought fast. "A catalyst is something that speeds up a chemical reaction. Could some brave Parisians have attacked the villain that boosted Hawk Moth's power and broken the akumatized object?"

Ladybug was hard-pressed. If the akuma wasn't freed the charm wouldn't work. If she was wrong and wasted an action throwing the Lucky Charm into the air, she was almost certain to go down.

Ladybug continued to fight until she glimpsed a purple butterfly flying towards the Tower. From talking with Tikki after her experience with Stoneheart, Ladybug knew that akuma butterflies choose high ground to reproduce so they can spread out in every direction. The top of the Eiffel Tower was a preferred spawning point.

Dodging a slash from Chat Sauvage's glowing right claw, Ladybug threw the Lucky Charm Miraculous box into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Ladybug was struck by an arrow from Dark Cupid an instant later, but it didn't matter. Magical red ladybugs swarmed out, restoring all direct and indirect damage from the attacks by the villains that Catalyst had made possible.

All the akumatized villains returned to normal. Hawk Moth was back, no longer Scarlet Moth. Former Dark Cupid Kim started to fall, but Ladybug caught him with her yo-yo. She also caught the loose akuma before it spawned.

Chat Noir was back and he snarled at Hawk Moth. "You're such a coward to use illusions on us. Now let's pick up where we left off!"

* * *

A short time before the cure, Nathalie had opened the safe and removed the Peacock Miraculous. There was a whirring beneath her feet, and she jumped back as the elevator shaft opened.

Nathalie put on the pin, ready to transform and face whatever enemy was coming after her.

"Duusu, fan..."

Volpina leaped straight up out of the shaft, gripped the edge of it to flip herself over, and slammed her feet into the would-be Miraculous user. Nathalie hit the opposite wall and was knocked out.

Volpina picked up the Peacock Miraculous from the floor. Time to make a getaway with this new treasure. She leaped away and was on top of a building blocks away when the cure hit.

Lila woke up. Her memories of the last hour or so were fuzzy, but she recognized the object in her hand from the book she had taken from Adrien, a broach in the shape of a peacock.

"This thing has power, and I want it," said Lila.

The broach glowed and a dark blue creature appeared in front of her.

"Greetings, new Mistress. I am Duusu, the kwami of the Peacock. I hope you will be nicer than my last Mistress."

"I will be, for sure," said Lila. "Now, tell me how your power works."


	3. Chapter 3

Duusu said, "The power of the Peacock is Expression. You can help someone to express their feelings, summoning up a powerful creature under your control. You can pluck a bit of fluff from your fan, charge it with magic, and send it to an object belonging to them. You get a mental link with the person, too."

"So it's exactly like the power of the Butterfly? To make someone else powerful?" asked Lila, a little disappointed.

"They are similar, and often both have been used in partnership. For example, the Butterfly holder creates a hero and the Peacock holder makes a steed for them."

"Do I need permission from the person to do the summons?"

"It is better if you do, but not strictly necessary. The link remains if they agree, and it will let you see through their eyes."

"That's really like the Butterfly. What's the name of the Peacock hero?"

"You can pick your own name. My former mistress called herself Le Paon."

"That sounds too masculine for me."

"Peacocks have bright feathers – peahens do not. But you might like the name Mayura, which is Sanscript for peacock."

"I do like it. One other thing. Is the fan also a weapon?"

"Yes, it can send blasts of wind in combat, and the wind can drain magic."

"Awesome. How do I transform?"

"Put on the broach and say, 'Duusu, fan out'. To detransform, say 'Duusu, fan in.'"

"Perfect. I'm ready," said Lila, putting on the broach.

"One thing I must warn you about. The Miraculous has been damaged by years of selfish use. If there is any more of that..."

"Duusu, fan out!"

Mayura tried out her new, powerful form. She couldn't leap as far as Volpina, but she could glide once in the air, like a real peacock.

Mayura got into sight of the Eiffel Tower and realized she needed to do something to help Hawk Moth. She didn't remember her own role in getting him into this position. As far as she was concerned he was still her partner in crime.

* * *

Hawk Moth was in trouble. He couldn't understand how everything had gone wrong. Somehow Ladybug had released all of his akuma victims. Chat Noir had used the power of Cataclysm to break his sword-cane. The other heroes, no longer villains, had joined the fight.

And now, worst of all, Ladybug created a web of yo-yo string all around the Eiffel Tower level where he stood.

"You're caught in our net, Hawk Moth," said Ladybug. "You're not going anywhere."

"Venom!" said Queen Bee. "I'll paralyze him, then he'll be all yours, Ladybug."

A blue feather entered the broken cane beside him. A mask of light formed around his eyes.

"Hawk Moth. I am Mayura. You're up against the wall, full of despair. Let me help you," said a voice in his mind.

Hawk Moth thought it must be Nathalie, even though the feeling of the link was different than the one he had used with Catalyst. He had warned her...

"No! Don't do that!"

"Let your despair be expressed in a powerful protector."

Hawk Moth nodded and sank to his knees, letting himself fully feel the emotion.

Near him a gigantic purple butterfly sprang into existence. With flaps of its mighty wings, the heroes were swept off their feet and nearly blown off the tower.

Ladybug snagged the monster with her yo-you and started to attack it, but Mayura simply dispelled it.

Somehow Hawk was magically immune to the blast. He raced down the stairs to the ground level while the heroes were distracted. There, limping and out of breath, he detransformed.

"Master?" called Nooroo, hovering anxiously near him.

* * *

Gabriel Agreste got himself home. He expected to chide Nathalie for using a damaged Miraculous, only to find her in tears.

"Sir, I'm so sorry. I let someone steal the Peacock Miraculous!"


	4. Chapter 4

In the evening Gabriel Agreste was at his desk, trying in vain to focus on his work. He had come so close today, only to have victory snatched away at the last moment.

A dark feather puffed into the room and landed on the paper he was working on. He tried to brush it away, but it absorbed into the paper. The pages turned dark and unreadable.

"Hawk Moth, this is Mayura," said a voice in his mind. "I saved you at the Eiffel Tower today."

"What is this? You have the wrong person – I'm not Hawk Moth!"

"Don't try to deny it. I can read your emotions of rage and disappointment, much too strong for a fashion designer frustrated by work."

"Suppose I am who you say. You expect me to be happy that you ruined my victory? Catalyst gave me an army of villains and you let Ladybug take them away."

"I didn't do that. I only helped you. Someone else..."

"You don't remember, but you took out Catalyst and broke her tablet."

"I wouldn't have done that. Trust me."

"Then you attacked again when Nathalie went to the safe for the Peacock Miraculous. She saw a blur of orange and white – you as Volpina."

"You have no proof."

"I have a security camera pointing at the safe. It shows Volpina attacking her and taking the jewel."

"If I did, I must have had a good reason. I suspect I found out you were going to shut me out after your victory. Now I have power of my own."

"You must return the Peacock Miraculous to me."

"No."

"I'll turn the video over to the police have you arrested."

"You think you can get me in trouble? A young akuma victim? Everyone will assume I was completely under Hawk Moth's control."

"I have influence in society. They will believe me."

"Do you really want to show the police your safe that had a magical jewel with a power almost exactly like Hawk Moth's? You're asking for your home to be searched, and who knows what else they will find?"

"Maybe the police are not the ones you should fear. I know where you live, Lila Rossi. Return the Miraculous or suffer the consequences."

"I also know who you are and where you live, Gabriel Agreste. I saw the cloud of red butterflies coming out of your house. I took a video of them with my cell phone."

"I doubt that."

"Can you take that risk? I've placed a copy of the video and my notes with a trusted friend at the embassy who will publish them if anything happens to me."

"That I really find hard to believe. You haven't done that, because you thought I would praise you for your role in getting me away from the heroes."

"I can keep you busy long enough for me to do it. Your rage has increased and could easily be expressed as a huge beast. Would you like a giant bear hug for your loved ones? I expect your dear son Adrien is at home. Will you risk that you and your akumas can stop it before Adrien is hurt?"

"No! Don't hurt Adrien!"

"I thought so. Face it, you have more to lose than I do. The balance of power has shifted and I'm the boss."

"I.. I suppose have to accept that. You win."

"I'll be in touch soon. Meanwhile, no more akumas without my consent. If make one, I'll assume you mean to turn it against me and I'll take appropriate revenge."

The feather detached itself from the paper and the magic in it dissipated. The mind link broke.

"Nathalie, come here!" Gabriel ordered.

"Yes, Sir," said Nathalie, coming into the room and shutting the door.

Gabriel told her about the mental conversation and Mayura's threats.

"What should we do about her, Sir?"

"We play along for now, give her enough rope to hang herself. The lure of power will be too much – she'll take herself out of our way soon with her abuse of the damaged Miraculous."

"I'm so sorry I lost the Miraculous, Sir."

"Never mind. I'm glad it's not you who's using it."


	5. Chapter 5

Miss Bustier entered the classroom. "Good morning, students. I'm sure you've all heard by now, but Lila's home from her trip to Achu and she's back in school with us again."

Lila made her entrance. "Hi, everyone."

Everyone greeted her enthusiastically, except for one girl standing in the middle of the classroom stairs, whose name Lila couldn't remember.

"Oh, a seat in the front row!" said Lila, adopting a cute, grateful pose. "You all remembered my hearing issue! You're such sweethearts, all of you. Mwah! Mwah!"

Lila took her seat next to Adrien. That had been her aim. She was more into the elder Agreste these days, but keeping Adrien close at hand was important for her plan to keep Hawk Moth in line. Chloé and her friend Sabrina wouldn't give up their seats in front, so it had been almost a sure thing.

The girl on the stairs asked, "You have a hearing problem, Lila?"

"Yes, I suffer from tinnitus, a constant ringing in my left ear. I'd had it ever since the sound of an airplane engine burst my eardrum on the runaway when I was saving Jagged Stone's lost kitten."

"Isn't Jagged Stone's pet a crocodile?" asked the girl.

Lila thought fast. "Now it is, yes. But he had a kitten until he found out he was allergic to it."

Lila, scooted close to her seat-mate.

"The best part is, since you're such an excellent student Adrien, you'll be able to help me catch up with all the schoolwork I missed while I was traveling with my parents. Would you do that for me?"

"Sure, Lila," said Adrien.

"Miss Bustier, why do I have to sit in the back now?" asked the annoying girl.

"Do you have any trouble hearing or seeing, Marinette? " asked Miss Bustier.

"Marinette – that was the name. It seems like she's going to be trouble," Lila thought as Marinette stammered an unintelligible reply to the teacher.

Adrien stood up. "My eyesight and hearing are good. I'll sit in the back of the class and you two can sit up front. I don't mind."

Lila looked at Marinette in dismay, and saw her looking back the same way. Both said, "No!" at once.

Lila stood up and said, "My return is causing so much trouble, maybe I should have just stayed on the other side of the world. If Marinette has an issue too, then I should be the one to go and sit in the back. It's okay."

There was a gasp from the class as everyone gave Marinette an angry look – just as Lila intended.

"I don't actually have any trouble seeing or hearing," said Marinette. "I mean..."

"Good, so there's no problem then," said Miss Bustier. "You sit here, Lila. Adrien, you stay where you are; and Marinette, you sit in the back row."

Marinette made an angry humph and took her seat.

Sitting by Adrien again, Lila said to Adrien, "I'm so happy to be back in Paris again, and to see all my friends.

Lila put her hand on his shoulder and laughed, partly to enrage Marinette since Lila suspected the girl was jealous.

Hawk Moth might have sent an akuma into a situation like this, but Lila knew he wouldn't dare. Mayura would show him that she could do the job even better...

* * *

In the cafeteria at lunch, Lila enjoyed being waited on by the other students.

"That's for you, Lila," said Sabrina, placing a plate beside her.

"Thank you, you're so sweet," said Lila.

"Here's your appetizer, Lila," said Max.

"I've got your main course," said Mylène.

"I'll fetch your dessert," said Kim.

"I'm sorry I can't carry my own tray," said Lila. "It's almost impossible with this sprained wrist."

Lila held out her right hand and let her wrist flop as if it were injured.

As she ate, Lila noticed that Marinette dragged her friends Alya and Nino to a nearby table, no doubt to try to turn them against her somehow. But Lila was confident she was the expert at this game – she was going to win.

She was a little caught off guard anyway, when Marinettte suddenly said, "Hey Lila, you forgot your napkin."

Marinette threw a napkin at Lila's face, and Lila caught it by reflex.

"Ha ha, see that? It's obvious she doesn't have a sprained wrist," said Marinette.

The classmates gasped and looked at Lila. Again Lila thought fast.

"Uh, ow!" said Lila, dropping the napkin and clutching her wrist.

"Once when I was in India, I witnessed someone getting their eye gouged out by the corner of a napkin. If I hadn't caught it, this napkin could've injured Max. I didn't have a choice. Ow!"

"Lila, you saved my eye!" said Max. "You sacrificed yourself for me."

"Why wouldn't I, Max?" said Lila. "You're my friend."

"We'll take you to the nurse's office," said Sabrina.

"Are you proud of yourself?" said Mylène to Marinette.

Kim said, "Lila's in even more pain now, all because of you."

Lila played sweet. "No, no, don't blame Marinette. She was just trying to give me a napkin. Right, Marinette?"

Marinette snarled and walked away. Perfect – now she looked like a bully.

Lila resisted being taken to the nurse's office, saying she wanted to check on Marinette.

* * *

Lila found Marinette in the girl's restroom, which was to one side of the locker room (the boy's restroom was on the other side).

"Marinette?" said Lila. "Oh, are you crying?" (She hoped so).

"No, I'm not," said Marinette, boldly enough to make Lila back off a little.

"I can sense that you don't like me, but I don't understand why," said Lila. "We barely know each other."

Marinette stared at her and said nothing.

"Don't tell me it's because of this new seating arrangement in class."

Mainette huffed and turned away from her.

"It is! Of course, you're jealous because I'm sitting next to Adrien, because you would've given anything to sit there yourself. You know what? It's really not worth it fighting over a boy. You and I could be friends, and who knows, I might even be able to help you with Adrien."

Marinette turned back to glare at her. "You and I will only be friends the day you stop lying, Lila!"

Lila gasped, startled at the intensity.

"I can't prove it, but I know for a fact that you don't have tinnitus, that your wrist is just fine, that you don't know Prince Ali because you've never even set foot in Achu, and despite what you got Alya to write on her Ladyblog, Ladybug has never saved your life!"

Lila gave up on tricking Marinette into friendship; she hadn't really expected it to work. If Marinette wanted a fight, she would get one... and she had a much tougher opponent than she knew.

"I only tell people what they want to hear," said Lila with a sly grin.

"It's called lying!"

"There's nothing you can do about it, anyway," said Lila, advancing on Marinette and backing her up against the wall. "People can't resist when they hear what they like to hear. If you don't want to be my friend, fine! But soon you won't have any friends left at all, and trust me, I'll make sure you never get close to Adrien in class or anywhere."

Lila leaned into Marinette, putting a hand to either side of her face.

"You seem a little less dumb than the others so I'll give you one last chance. You're either with me or against me. You don't have to answer right away. I'll give you 'till the end of class today."

Lila turned away from Marinette and left the bathroom.

Out in the locker room, Lila looked around to make sure nobody was watching through the windows.

"I have no intention of giving you time to think about it," Lila said softly, knowing that Marinette couldn't hear. "I'll strike right now while your emotions are high."

She took out the broach and pinned it on.

"Duusu, fan out!"


	6. Chapter 6

Marinette sat on a toilet seat in one of the bathroom stalls. Tikki flew out from her purse to talk with her.

"I thought Chloé was evil, but Lila really takes the whole cake," said Marinette, clenching her fists. "She's like a supervillain who doesn't even need a costume."

"You mustn't let her get to you, Marinette," said Tikki.

"If I don't manage to expose her lies, she'll ruin my life, Tikki. She'll turn my friends against me, including Adrien."

Marinette growled, gritted her teeth, and pounded a fist against the wall of the stall.

A dark blue feather drifted in under the stall door. It flew up and landed on Marinette's purse. Darkness spread over it. Marinette gasped and threw the purse away from her. It flew over the stall door and landed in one of the sinks.

"That was a feather, not an akuma," said Tikki. "It's the Peacock holder. Settle down your emotions or they can use them to summon something!"

There was a voice in her mind. "Mademoiselle, you are enraged with an enemy, and also with your so-called friends who sided with her against you."

Marinette knew a regular civilian wouldn't know about any other possibility than Hawk Moth doing this. She had to pretend for the sake of her secret identity.

"No, Hawk Moth, I won't let you akumatize me!" said Marinette.

"Never mind," said the voice. "I have what I need. Have a nice sleep."

The mental connection broke off – Marinette feared what was coming next.

In the next stall over there came the sound like the cracking of a giant egg. The next instant, there were dark green snakes all over the floor.

Marinette shrieked and jumped up on top of the toilet seat.

"Tikki, spots on!"

The transformation came just in time. A snake struck at Ladybug's ankle, but the fangs didn't take hold through her costume.

Ladybug leaped to the top of the stall's side wall. In the next stall was a huge green egg. More snakes were pouring out and something larger was starting to emerge. How could this happen? Was this like the giant butterfly?

Ladybug needed to get out of the room quickly and find a way to block the snakes before they invaded the school. She almost went out the bathroom door, but she realized that the room had only one exit. If Lila was still close by and saw Ladybug leaving a room where she knew Marinette was, Ladybug's secret identity would be blown.

"I gotta find another way," said Ladybug.

She looked up and saw an air vent. It would be a narrow squeeze, but it was the safest way out.

* * *

Mayura dropped her transformation. She didn't need it to control the monsters she had summoned.

The stage was set. Marinette would stay asleep in the bathroom from her bite. All Lila had to do was go back to the cafeteria and raise the alarm that Marinette had been akumatized.

The bathrooms were to either side of the locker room, men's on one side and women's on the other. Lila walked to the door that lead from the locker room to the school courtyard.

Adrien came in. It seemed he had come to get something from his locker.

"Hey, Lila!" said Adrien.

Lila re-thought the situation. She hadn't wanted to make Adrien a victim, but it would serve as a warning to Hawk Moth that she was serious.

"Adrien, I need your help! I think Marinette has been akumatized!" Lila said, rushing to Adrien and grabbing onto him.

"What?" asked Adrien in surprise.

"I went to talk with Marinette in the bathroom. She was so angry at me – I don't know why. I left, but then I heard strange noises. I'm afraid to look..."

"I'll check," said Adrien.

"Marinette, are you all right?" Adrien called at the door.

There was no answer. Adrien pushed the door open slightly. One of the snakes struck instantly. Adrien sank to the floor, unconscious.

"Whoops," said Lila coldly.

Lila dragged Adrien out of the way of the door and ran back to the cafeteria.

* * *

"Help, everyone! Marinette's been akumatized!" Lila yelled.

"Don't panic; we have akuma evacuation training," said Alya. "Are you sure?"

"I tried to talk to Marinette in the bathroom. She was angry with me for some reason. She yelled at me and called me names," said Lila. "I left, but then I heard a strange hissing sound coming from inside the bathroom."

"Oh no!" said Rose.

"Adrien came into the locker room. I told him and he tried to check on her. When he opened the door a snake bit him and a horrible snake monster came out! I ran."

"Snakes! I'm scared of snakes," said Mylène.

"Too bad!" said the creature from the summoned egg, knocking down the cafeteria door and entering with a flood of snakes. "Ex-friends, meet my new friends."

The creature looked like Marinette, except that instead of pigtails she had two Medusa-like snakes on each side of her head. Her skin was green and scaly, and her whole body had become a lamia.

"Marinette!" cried Alya.

"I'm not Marinette. I am... Snake in the Grass. My friends turned against me, so I've turned against you. I never really cared about you, anyway."

"We haven't turned against you, not really," said Sabrina. "We just don't like how you've been treating Lila."

"Lila!" snarled Snake in the Grass. "I hate her. So she has tinnitus, and a sprained wrist. I don't care. What matters is that she took attention away from me! I was everyone's favorite. Now it's all Lila, Lila, Lila. I'll make her suffer for that!"

Lila pretended to cower as snakes converged on the table where she was standing. This was better than Hawk Moth's akuma villains. She could make them do whatever she wanted.

* * *

Ladybug had crawled through the vents and emerged on the roof of the school building. There were snakes all over the ground. Most of the students had evacuated, but some had been bitten and were asleep on the ground.

Ladybug swung down on her yo-yo. As she did, a lamia came out of the cafeteria holding Lila in her coils.

"Help, Ladybug!" called Lila.

"All right, Snake-Thing, the game's up!" said Ladybug. "Let Lila go."

"The name is Snake in the Grass," said the monster. "So you know Lila and you wish to save her life. Right? Answer only yes or no, or I will crush her."

"Yes," said Ladybug.

"Give me your Miraculous and I'll let her go," said Snake in the Grass.

"Where's Chat Noir?" Ladybug thought. "I could sure use his help. I'll have to make do with what I have."

"Lucky Charm!" cried Ladybug.

She got a red transparent bag with black spots, filled with half melted ice cubes. Glancing around, the things that seemed to light up were the ice water, her yo-yo, and the coils of the Snake.

Spinning her yo-yo fast with her right hand, Ladybug tossed the contents of the bag into the air with her left. The water became an icy spray. Ladybug knew Lila would get cold and drenched, but the cold-blooded snake would be affected even more.

Ladybug rushed the lamia and pulled Lila loose. Snake in the Grass tried to catch Ladybug in her coils, but the cold had slowed her.

"Run and hide!" Ladybug told Lila.

Lila got away, but kept an eye on the situation from her hiding place behind a gym storage locker.

A suspicion was forming in Ladybug's mind. This was staged to look like a regular akuma attack, but Ladybug had inside knowledge that it wasn't. How far would the Peacock holder go to make it seem real?

Ladybug called out, "I need to find Snake's akumatized object. She doesn't seem to be wearing anything – not even any jewelry. Does anyone know what room she first came from?"

Alya was hiding under the stairs. She called out, "The girl's bathroom, Ladybug!"

Ladybug fired off her yo-yo and swung to the open locker room door.

* * *

Lila didn't want Ladybug to enter the bathroom and see Marinette. The villain was supposed to be Marinette akumatized – it would ruin everything.

Lila sent Snake in the Grass smashing through one of the locker room windows, to block the bathroom door.

"You're not getting my object!" said Snake in the Grass.

"You're still slow from the cold," said Ladybug. "You can't stop me from breaking your object and purifying your akuma butterfly."

Lila realized she was right. There was no way to keep this looking like a regular akuma attack. Even if Marinette was completely out of sight in the stall, Ladybug would tear apart the purse and release... the feather.

"You're in luck, Ladybug," said Snake in the Grass. "I could beat you easily, but Hawk Moth needs his power elsewhere. Goodbye for now."

Lila made Snake in the Grass retreat into the bathroom, reach her tail under the stall door where she knew Marinette was sleeping, and unlatch the door. Then Lila commanded the Peacock-charged feather to withdraw from the purse. The feather drifted into the paper towel disposal bin as its power dissipated.

* * *

Ladybug charged in, but the bathroom was now empty. The purse in the sink looked normal again. Just in case she made a small tear in the side, but no feather came out.

She ran back into the courtyard and tossed the ice bag into air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

Nothing happened.

"I'm sorry, it seems the charm doesn't work if the akuma wasn't driven out of the object. Hawk Moth pulled his power, so all the damage will have to be repaired the hard way," said Ladybug. "At least the snakes are gone and the people who were bitten are waking up. Time to bug out."

Ladybug swung away on her yo-yo. She backtracked quickly through the vent and got back to the toilet seat to detransform. For the sake of her secret identity she would play this as a regular akuma attack. It was the strongest possible evidence that Marinette wasn't Ladybug.

* * *

Alya came in and found Marinette in the bathroom.

"What happened?" asked Marinette.

"You were akumatized into a snake monster," said Alya. "I hope it teaches you a lesson about your hatred towards Lila."

"Teaches me a lesson?" asked Marinette. "What do you mean?"

"What you said while you were under the spell made me see you in a different light. All of us, I think."

"What did I say?"

"That you were angry with Lila for stealing attention from you. That you never really cared about any of us. It seems you just love being the center of attention."

"No! I would never say that... I didn't mean it if I did. I was akumatized."

"Being an akuma villain makes you go for your goals in crazy and violent ways. It doesn't change the deep feelings that caused you to be akumatized."

"I'm... I'm sorry if I said things that hurt you."

"I'm sorry, too. I don't think I can be your friend anymore."

"No! Please, Alya!"

Alya shook her head and left.

Marinette remained, weeping bitterly. By making this look like a real akuma attack, she had fallen into a trap. This was just what Lila said she was going to do... and now it had become perfectly clear who the Peacock holder was.

* * *

Even after toweling off, Lila was feeling cold and miserable. She enjoyed the attention of the other students, though.

"Of course Ladybug saved my life. She never misses an opportunity to rescue her best friends."

"Did the cold water bother your ear, with the tinnitus?" asked Max.

"No, Ladybug made sure not to get any water on my right ear," said Lila gesturing to it.

Lila hoped that she remembered the correct ear. But now that she was paying attention to it, there really was a problem: there was a constant ringing. And when she moved her right hand to gesture, a pain shot through her wrist.

Lila excused herself to the bathroom and summoned Duusu.

"Duusu, what's going on? What's happened to me?"

Duusu said, "It was your power of Expression working through the damaged Miraculous. You put words in the mouth of your creation – that you really had those disabilities and she didn't care. You wanted people to believe that. Your power made it true."

Lila said, "I can't believe this! Can it be healed?"

"I'm sorry, but to try would only do more damage. My former mistress ended up in a coma from trying to maintain her youth and beauty. I'm afraid you'll have to live with it."

* * *

Adrien came up to sit beside Marinette at the back of the classroom.

"I want to help you as a friend," said Adrien. "I didn't know you had such angry feelings. Let me be there for you. You can tell me if something's bothering you."

"Thank you, Adrien," said Marinette.

At least she had one friend...

Marinette was preoccupied enough to miss her name being called three times in a row.

"Looks like you have trouble hearing after all, Marinette," said Miss Bustier. "Why don't you come sit up here in the front row next to Lila?"

Marinette got up and came down the stairs.

Lila stood up. "Miss Bustier, this is incredible. My tinnitus, I don't feel it anymore. It's..."

Lila's face fell as she put her hand to her ear.

"Never mind. It's back."

Marinette sat beside her with a grim smile.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer," Marinette thought. "We'll get your Miraculous soon, Peacock. And we'll find out everything you know about Hawk Moth."

**The End**


End file.
